Picture
by BeautifulDisasterxx
Summary: After two years of being apart Brooke & Nathan find themselves in two different states of mind remembering each other when they find a picture from the past. [Song fic]
1. Chap 1: Living His Life in A Slow Hell

_** Picture**_

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to OTH, or the song Picture by Sheryl Crow & Kid Rock.

Backround Information: Nathan/Haley never got married, they broke up junior year and then Brooke and Nathan got together in the summer before senior year. At the end of their senior year Nathan found out Brooke was pregnant with his child, he left her. Now 2 years later they find themselves in two different states of mind remembering each other when they find a picture from the past.

* * *

_Livin' my life in a slow hell._

_Different girl every night at the hotel._

_I ain't seen the sun shine in 3 damn days._

_Been fuelin' up on cocaine and whisky.

* * *

_

His hands held his face just as every ounce of guilt and remorse emptied him, he did this regularly, cocaine was his only remedy for this amount of pain. He looked over to the girl who lay in his bed that night, she was some waitress at a local bar that he'd picked up for the hell of it. He never was one for commitment, just some small talk then he was ready to go...except for one girl she was different, he actually went for more than just sex but that was in the past. A half drunken bottle of whisky was open and sitting on his night stand, he drank that before anything happened between him and...he picked up her waitress uniform and read her name tag, Kara. He was in a small town on the outskirts of North Carolina, it wasn't sunny and bright...more like dark and gloomy, rain beat down on his windows constantly, he'd only been there a good six months but it was still enough to drive him crazy. His whole life was making him crazy, it wasn't just the drugs that drove him crazy, it was the girls and the constant sex. He wasn't usually one who complained about sex, he'd been a real player in high school but it all stopped that one day when that cheery brunette stepped onto the basketball court wearing her Raven's cheerleading outfit smiling ear to ear like she always was.

* * *

_Wish I had a good girl to miss me._

_Lord I wonder if I'll ever change my ways._

_I put your picture away._

_Sat down and cried today.

* * *

_

All these girls he had now didn't even compare to her, everything about her was unbelievable. He kicked himself everyday for ever leaving her and his unborn child, he didn't even know if it was a boy or girl. It didn't matter to him, a boy or girl would be great but he was scared of what was to come. He thought about going back but then he'd find her, she would hate him, maybe she has found someone new, someone who wants to be there for her. He still had some boxes that he hadn't even opened since he left that small town called Tree Hill, where secrecy didn't exist. He'd been to four different towns in 2 years never staying longer than six months, he didn't want to get attached. He opened one of the boxes, it was all his old trophies and basketball jersey's. His parent's sent this particular box to him, right after it got where he was staying...he bailed. If she had gotten that address then she would've found him, he didn't want that, and all he ever wanted was to love her and not hurt her. He wasn't capable of doing that.

He looked through the team pictures and MVP award's, then he came across a picture of him and her together smiling like nothing was wrong and everything was perfect. Times were a lot easier then, that picture was taken after a Raven's game the championship game to be exact, she wore a smile on her face as well as a 'Ravens' temporary tattoo on her cheek, and her dimples were sitting there on her cheeks. That was the night she told him she was pregnant...that was the night that changed both of their lives forever. A single tear slid slowly down his cheek as he remembered that their last conversation was a fight that had hurt both of them deeply. They fought about the unborn baby, their relationship and what the hell they were gonna do.

* * *

_I can't look at you while I'm lyin' next to her._

_I put your picture away, sat down and cried today._

_I can't look at you while I'm lyin' next to her.

* * *

_

His lonely tear was suddenly surrounded with more tears flowing out of his eyes as he looked from the naked blonde waitress on his bed to the beautiful girl in the picture, smiling, holding his hand. He put the picture in the bottom of the box, closed it and stuffed it in the closet. He'd obviously made more noise than he expected because the blonde stirred. He locked himself in the bathroom, got into the shower and let the hot water drown his many sorrows, his tears mixed with the water beating down on him, hoping the tears would just go away. After his shower he kicked out the blonde and packed up his stuff in his small car. He headed out of the old gloomy gray town, he headed to the place he knew too well, he drove for hours when he finally made it to his destination. The sign greeted him graciously. It seemed like yesterday he was reading the other side of that sign where it told him to leave but this was a whole different story, this time he was welcomed. 'Welcome to Tree Hill. Please enjoy your stay.'

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It's not done yet but that's the first chapter. The second one will be in Brooke's POV. Hope you enjoyed the first chap! Please review:) 


	2. Chap 2: Waitin' on Him For a Long Time

**_ Picture_**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to OTH, or the song Picture by Sheryl Crow & Kid Rock.

Backround Information: Nathan/Haley never got married, they broke up junior year and then Brooke and Nathan got together in the summer before senior year. At the end of their senior year Nathan found out Brooke was pregnant with his child, he left her. Now 2 years later they find themselves in two different states of mind remembering each other when they find a picture from the past.

* * *

_I called you last night in the hotel._

_Everyone knows but they won't tell._

_But their half-hearted smiles tell me._

_Somethin' just ain't right,

* * *

_

Brooke called the hotel where she last knew he was, they said that he had checked out six months ago, he always did this. He never stayed in one place for very long, all the time they were together Nathan talked about traveling and how he wanted to get out of this small town. She wished she could leave at least for a little while but being a mother to a one and a half-year-old daughter who never knew a real father didn't give her time to travel. She was another single mother, like Karen, only Karen had support from her parents, her parents disowned her. At least like Karen had Keith, she had Lucas. Lucas was around but he was just helping Brooke out after all he did to her in the past. She had always had feeling that Lucas might know where Nathan is, he seemed a lot different lately...more quiet, he never was good at lying. She knew something wasn't right, something is going on and she wanted to know what.

* * *

_I been waitin' on you for a long time._

_Fuelin' up on heartaches and cheap wine._

_I ain't heard from you in 3 damn nights._

_I put your picture away.

* * *

_

She waited for two years for him to come back, to walk through her front door, sweep her off her feet and have her happy ending. Her happy ending hasn't come yet and now she thought it may never come. During her pregnancy she went through high and low emotions, her parents had finally given up all hope with her, they left her with the house, and moved to Maui or Tahiti...somewhere exotic. Her own parents didn't even want her, how unlovable was she? They still paid for all the bills of course, until Brooke was able to get a job herself, even then she still needed help. She needed to pay Natalie's babysitter, she needed to pay for Natalie's food and for Natalie's toys. She could never say no to those big brown doe eyes, even though she was only a year and a half. Her parents thought money solved everything. One night she was organizing one of her drawers after Natalie had threw out all of the clothes, when she came across a picture of them together, they looked happy, something Brooke never thought she'd ever feel again. She was wearing her Raven's cheerleading uniform, that he always loved on her, and he had on his jersey with the number twenty-three, her favorite number, his hand entangled with hers. That night the Raven's won the championship and everyone was going wild, she made the biggest announcement that she'd ever make in her life that night. She told him that she was pregnant, they fought about the baby, their future together. Neither of them liked how it ended, Brooke could feel all the feelings rushing back to her, the feelings she felt the day she found out he left. He was just like his father. Her eyes grew glassy, her cheeks dampened as she stared at his face wondering what it looked like now.

* * *

_I wonder where you been._

_I can't look at you while I'm lyin' next to him._

_I put your picture away,_

_I wonder where you been.

* * *

_

Lucas stirred from her bed, she quickly wiped her tears away, Lucas and her weren't really together, they were friends...but they acted like they were together for Natalie's sake. Lucas was fine with helping Brooke out with Natalie, she meant everything to Brooke, and Lucas would do anything to see Brooke to be happy or even smile again. The day Nathan left was the day those dimples and pearly white teeth disappeared, wet cheeks and puffy eyes were her newest look. She was depressed for a few months after Natalie was born, her parents left her, Nathan left her, Brooke was just waiting for the day when Lucas would leave her and get fed up with the constant burden of pretending to have a daughter. Every minute of everyday she wondered what city or even state he was in, he was probably out screwing some blonde bitch who would give it up to anyone, she bit her lip thinking those things led her to depression, she had almost hit rock bottom but Lucas saved her. He picked up the pieces but they never really stayed together...she didn't think they ever would.

* * *

_I can't look at you while I'm lyin' next to him.

* * *

_

"Brooke what are you doing?" Lucas sat from his sleep, it was two a.m. in the morning, Brooke was never up that late without a good reason and he knew that.

"Just...reminiscing." Brooke stood up and put the picture in a rubber maid tub that was located in her closet, it was safe there, no one was allowed in there except her. She lay down next to Lucas in her bed, he kissed the top of her head like he did every night, and they had a routine. They would tuck Natalie in, watch TV together, brush their teeth, get changed, go to sleep and then make breakfast for Natalie together in the morning. She loved Lucas for what he did, it was only a friend's love and it was a mutual feeling among them. Brooke closed her eyes that night, it was the last time that she'd ever feel alone again or so she was hoping. Every night she hoped and prayed that something great would happen to her, she didn't expect that night that prayer would be answered.

* * *

_.Spoilers._

_Brooke sees Nathan back in Tree Hill while out with Natalie._

_Nathan meets his daughter for the first time.

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_

_**Don't forget to review please:)**_


	3. Chap 3: I Saw You Yesterday With An Old ...

_**Picture**_

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to OTH, or the song Picture by Sheryl Crow & Kid Rock.

Backround Information: Nathan/Haley never got married, they broke up junior year and then Brooke and Nathan got together on the summer before senior year. At the end of their senior year Nathan found out Brooke was pregnant with his child, he left her. Now 2 years later they find themselves in two different states of mind remembering each other when they find a picture from the past.

* * *

_I saw you yesterday with an old friend.

* * *

_

Brooke woke up that morning and got Natalie dressed, they were going shopping, and Natalie loved to look at the clothes even if they were 10 times bigger than she was. She had Brooke's love for shopping, even at the age of one and a half she was running around the stores grabbing clothes. Brooke suited Natalie up in her winter jacket, which had fur around the neck and hood. Natalie slipped on her own boots and then smiled at Brooke proudly, Brooke hugged her baby girl and put on Natalie's gloves. After Brooke had her own coat on and purse in hand they made their way down the cold icy streets of Tree Hill. Brooke pushed Natalie in her stroller, Brooke looked in the direction of Karen's Café which was now run by Deb Scott and Karen Roe. She never really went in there, seeing Deb reminded her too much of Nathan. Even the guy across the street talking to...Brooke tried to get a better look at the person the Nathan-look-alike was talking to...she knew her from somewhere. It's Haley, then that must be Nathan, Brooke's mouth dropped open, he was standing right there across the street.

* * *

_It was the same ole same "how have you been".

* * *

_

Nathan smiled at the girl who stood before him, it was his ex-girlfriend, Haley James. "Hey." Was all he could say, he hadn't seen her for two years, he didn't know what to say other than that three lettered word.

"Hey, how have you been?" She touched his arm looking into his eyes, she looked like she was genuinely interested.

"Not good." He bit his lip, he never bit his lip unless he was really sad about something. He stared at the ground and then turned his head to the right and there she was with her mouth hanging open. A baby stroller attached to her hands, he ran across the road, dodging cars to get to her, and leaving a confused Haley behind, but as soon as she saw Brooke she understood.

* * *

_Since you been gone my worlds been dark & gray.

* * *

_

When she saw him everything came into color, everything made sense again, nothing was gonna be the same. She thought he wasn't real for a minute, she had to touch his cheek to make sure she wasn't fantasizing. A smile crept onto his face as her soft gentle hand came into contact with his face, seeing the disbelief in her eyes made him sad. He never wanted to leave, it was just the first thing that came to his mind, even though he wanted to come back he was afraid that she would hate him and never love him ever again.

* * *

_You reminded me of brighter days.

* * *

_

Her bottom lip trembled as she realized he was really standing there and sharing this moment with her. But she needed to be sure, sometimes she had these dreams where this sort of thing would happen and then she'd wake up in a cold sweat. "Are you real?" Tears glassed her eyes, making them shine even brighter.

He placed his hand over her hand that was still planted on his cheek. "Yes Brooke I'm real." When she heard him say her name like he used to, she just broke down in tears and pulled her hand away. He looked behind her and saw a beautiful baby girl with big brown eyes and a full head of brown thick hair, he smiled she looked a lot like Brooke and a lot like him.

* * *

_I hoped you were comin' home to stay,_

_I was headed to church.

* * *

_

"Nathan..." She picked up her baby girl who was smiling from ear to ear, Nathan noticed she had Brooke's dimples, he's always loved those. Every time he complemented Brooke on them she'd blush and say she hated them. "This is your daughter..." Brooke passed Natalie to her father, she played with his fingers and giggled. "Natalie."

"Natalie?" Nathan looked at his ex-girlfriend, Brooke nodded her head while biting her lower lip. "Hey Natalie." Nathan cooed to his young daughter, she looked up at him and smiled

"We better be going." Brooke sniffed, drying her cheeks and eyes. She couldn't just let Nathan walk back into her life as if nothing happened. Nathan strapped Natalie back into her stroller and turned his gaze back on the broken woman in front of him.

"I'm sorry."

"I know but it doesn't change what you did." She walked away and went home, she put Natalie down for her nap, and then she cried. She cried for hours, how could he just assume that she'd forget all the pain he put her through?

* * *

_I was off to drink you away.

* * *

_

Nathan walked into the local bar ready to drink away all his sorrows like he always did. After seeing his daughter and how bad he'd messed Brooke up, he couldn't stand feeling this way. He ordered a beer just as he was about to take a sip of it, he realized he couldn't do it. He'd had his share of alcohol and drug problems in the past but he had a family now. He had a small daughter who with out him wouldn't know what the term father meant. He left the bar leaving his beer there, he wanted to be a father and he wanted to be with Brooke. He wasn't gonna run...not any more.

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**Please Review! Tardychick06 I'm sorry about your arm! I hope you feel better! I'll update really soon with the last chapter will that make you feel better?**


	4. Chap 4: Can't Seem to Get You Off My Min...

_** Picture**_

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to OTH, or the song Picture by Sheryl Crow & Kid Rock.

Backround Information: Nathan/Haley never got married, they broke up junior year and then Brooke and Nathan got together in the summer before senior year. At the end of their senior year Nathan found out Brooke was pregnant with his child, he left her. Now 2 years later they find themselves in two different states of mind remembering each other when they find a picture from the past.

* * *

_I thought about you for a long time._

_Can't seem to get you off my mind.

* * *

_

Brooke sat in her living room watching Natalie playing with her blocks, once she built something she'd knock it down and then smile at Brooke. She could watch her daughter play for hours, she just looked so happy so peaceful, that's something she hasn't felt for a long time. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Nathan, he looked just as he did before he left only a little older. When she saw him she thought he was just some fantasy that she concocted in her mind to make herself feel better, but when he turned out to be real, everything changed. Her life went on hold, the strange thing was…she was happy when she saw him, she wanted to kiss him so bad...but she couldn't let him just get away with leaving her for two years while carrying his baby.

* * *

_I can't understand why we're living life this way._

_I found your picture today.

* * *

_

Nathan talked to his mother, she hugged him for what seemed like years, she kissed his cheek about eleven times before he could get a word in. He asked Deb where Brooke was living, she told him where she used to, Nathan kissed his mother on her cheek and left. Nathan got into his car and sat there for a minute, he looked over at box sitting in the passenger seat, he opened the box and took out the picture that he hid in the closet, the one he couldn't look at but now he some how could. She looked exactly the same, the same face but was a bit more sad than he remembered, the same small body that fit into his arms perfectly, the same beautiful smile that he hadn't even seen yet but still knew it was there, things like that don't go away. He drove to Brooke's house, when he got there he just sat for a few minutes, remembering things about this house that he never thought he would think of again.

* * *

_I swear I'll change my ways._

_I just called to say I want you to come back home.

* * *

_

Brooke put Natalie in her playpen while she went to grab the phone that was ringing. "Hello?" She said in an exasperated voice, her heavily breathing didn't stop when she heard who was on the other line.

"Brooke I'm sorry." Nathan apologized. "I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for not being there to see Natalie's first step, for not seeing her say her first word. I'm sorry for being such an asshole to you, I'm sorry about they way we left things and most of all I'm sorry for putting you through so much pain." He took a long breath after apologizing non-stop to the woman he loved and never stopped loving.

Brooke swallowed the huge lump in her throat as Nathan's voice continued on and on apologizing for everything did wrong. "Wow that's a lot of apologies." She let out a slight laugh, it was the first slight laugh in a while, she never thought Nathan would make her feel this way.

"Will you forgive me?" He pleaded, loved her so much but he knew she wouldn't just forgive and forget. She was strong and wanted him to realize what he did, didn't just hurt her but his daughter too.

"I don't know—"Brooke sobbed into the phone. "I'm so confused Nathan, I don't know whether to hate you or love you!" She yelled, just as she passed the front door but it swung open.

* * *

_I found your picture today._

_I swear I'll change my ways.

* * *

_

"Look at this picture Brooke." Nathan walked into her house showing her the picture she found the night before. They both hung up their phones. "Tell me you wouldn't give anything to be this happy again." He pointed to their smiling faces, they were happy then.

"I wanna be that happy Nathan but it's never gonna be the same." Her tears came down in waterfalls they were constantly flowing. Nathan cupped her face with both of his hands wiping her tears away with both of his thumbs, she looked up into his eyes, they were pleading her to forgive him.

"Brooke I love you and I love Natalie." He told her but Brooke interrupted.

"You don't even know Natalie." She sniffed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear nervous at what he was gonna say next.

"If she's anything like you then there's no doubt in my mind that I'll love her." As he said that a smile crept onto Brooke's lips, he smiled too, she directed her gaze at floor beneath her feet.

* * *

_I just called to say I want you to come back home._

_I just called to say, I love you come back home.

* * *

_

Nathan lifted Brooke's chin so that her eyes were looking into his, his hands holding each side of her face as his lips inched closer and closer until they finally met in a breath taking kiss. All the minutes, hours, days, months and years they were apart were put into that kiss, every emotion they were feeling was expressed in that one perfect moment in time. When that moment was over and Nathan was staring at Brooke waiting for her answer, Brooke couldn't speak, she was speechless, he had taken her breath away. No kiss had ever compared to that one, and she had kissed a lot of guys in her time, before Nathan of course. When she went from bar to bar no one had taken her breath away, nor did she ever think she'd have her breath taken away...let alone by Nathan Scott, the son of Satan, Dan Scott.

"Say something." He urged her, but she couldn't she mouthed the words but they didn't come out. She cleared her throat and bit her lip.

"I love you too." She saw a smile spread across his hansom face, she smiled too, dimples and all.

"I love those dimples." She blushed at his comment.

"I've always kinda hated them." He laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her closer to his body, this time she initiated the kiss. Her hand entangled in his brown hair that was identical to her baby girls. Just as that thought came to mind che pushed away. "I better check on Natalie." Nathan raised an eyebrow. "We…we better check on Natalie." She pulled him upstairs to her daughters bedroom, they stood there watching their daughter sleep peacefully occasionally rolling around and messing up her blankets, Brooke being a worried mother quickly fixed them so her daughter wouldn't get cold. Nathan stood behind Brooke his arms wrapped around her waist, and chin on her shoulder.

"I love you Brooke." He kissed her neck making her smile in pleasure.

"I love you too." Bringing her hands down to her waist where his were placed firmly. Hers slipped between his as they stood silently watching Natalie sleep. They were officially a family again, nothing could come in their way. Brooke finally got her happy ending.

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**Don't forget to review please.**


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